Tasnim– Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani expressed optimism about the outcome of the protracted war in Syria, saying the Arab country’s people will pass through the crisis and “better days” await them.

Speaking at a meeting with his Syrian counterpart, Hamoudeh Sabbagh, on the sidelines of the 137th assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Russia’s St. Petersburg, Larijani hailed Syria’s resistance against foreign-backed terrorist groups over the past five years.

“You have passed through a five-year-old crisis and the future of Syria is promising,” he said, adding, “Today, you should think about consolidation of peace in Syria and normalization of diplomatic relations with the world.”

Larijani went on to say that although the Syrian crisis is nearing its end, the Middle East region’s crisis continues and so should the campaign against terrorism.

The Syrian parliamentarian, for his part, expressed his gratitude to Tehran for backing Damascus and said the Arab country will not forget the Islamic Republic’s supports for the resistance of Syria.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), currently controlling parts of it.

According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.

In the meantime, Iran has remained a close ally of Syria and supports its legitimate government in the face of foreign-backed militancy.

Tehran insists that the Syrian nation is the only side that has the right to shape the future of its own country, rejecting foreign intervention with the use of force.